Computer game device

ABSTRACT

A computer game device provided with a games&#39; board and a computer connected thereto for controlling game facets. The games&#39; board has a first number of side edges and a second number of playing areas. Each playing area contains an activation element connected with the computer, in which operating the activation element activates or deactivates certain game facets, and has a mark device for separately displaying an equal number of distinctive marks as side edges. Each mark device being connected to the corresponding activation element and to the computer and is operable by the activation element and/or the computer. Each side edge containing a third number of operating means for operating the computer for activating or deactivating certain game facets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a computer game provided with a games'board and a computer connected thereto for controlling game facets.

Nowadays there are numerous computer games or computer assisted gameshaving a great variety of subjects and games to be played on a games'board. It is an object of the present invention to provide analternative computer game with which in a simple manner the game can beplayed by one or more persons.

For this purpose the invention provides a computer game provided with agames' board and a computer connected thereto for controlling gamefacets, said games' board having a first number of side edges and asecond number of playing areas, each playing area containing anactivation element connected with the computer, in which operating theactivation element activates or deactivates a certain game facet, andhaving a mark device for separately displaying a number of distinctivemarks, said number of distinctive mark corresponding to said firstnumber of side edges, each mark device being connected to thecorresponding activation element and to the computer and being operableby the activation element and/or the computer, each side edge containinga third number of operating means for operating the computer foractivating or deactivating certain game facets. As each playing area candisplay a number of distinctive marks, a game assisted by the computeror a computer chip can be played on the games' board by a same number ofplayers as the number of distinctive marks. The game to be playeddepends on the programme loaded in the computer or the chip in whichcertain game facets can be activated or deactivated by operating theactivation elements and/or the operating Means.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,491 an electronic system is disclosed for theremote transmission and display of game moves in real time in which oneor more electronic board game consoles are provided, each having a64-square chess board. Positioned beneath each of the 64 squares on eachconsole, there is located a display unit which on proper energization iscapable of producing a display image of any one of the game playingpieces. Logic circuitry is provided to permit each player of the game toselectively cause his images to be automatically transferred from onesquare to another as well as to selectively create or eliminate thosepiece images at preselected squares. Logic circuitry is further providedin which a plurality of board square memory elements, at least one foreach square of the board, store coded representations of the playingpiece images, and wherein said representations are monitored by decodingdevices which facilitate the display of a given piece image at a givensquare. Additional logic circuitry is provided comprising at least onetemporary storage memory element serving as a temporary storage for thecoded representation of a playing piece transferred from one square toanother, while an enabling circuit is provided to permit the transfer ofan image only to those destination squares either at which no image iscurrently displayed, or at which an image belonging to an opposingplayer is displayed.

Thus U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,491 relates contrary to the present inventionto the game of chess, necessitating that any one of the chess gamepieces (six black ones, six white ones) can be displayed on each playingarea. This is, amongst other things, contrary to the invention in whichthe number of distinctive marks to be displayed on each playing areacorresponds to the number of side edges of the games' board.

The games' board can be displayed on a touch-sensitive screen, eachactivation element being a part of the screen, i.e. a displayed playingarea.

Alternatively, the games' board is a physical games' board, eachactivation element being a push-button.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

Various embodiments of a computer game according to the presentinvention will be described by way of example on the basis of thefigure, the figure schematically representing a top view of a physicalgames' board with push-buttons and a computer integrated therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will be described on the basis of a games' boardwith four side edges and four distinctive marks per playing area, sothat four players can play a game, it being so that the computer canreplace one or more players, but it will be clear that the games' boardcan have three, five or more side edges, and that each playing area cantherefore display three, five or more distinctive marks. In addition,the computer game according to the invention will be elucidated on thebasis of a “Go”-like game to be played by four players, it being clear,however, that depending on the computer program, i.e. the software, thecomputer game is suitable for playing one or more other games.

The computer game shown in the figure is provided with a games' board 10and a computer 11 integrated therein for controlling certain gamefacets. Although the computer is shown as being integrated in the games'board, it can also be a separate unit which is connected to the games'board via a line.

The games' board 10 has a first number of side edges 12, 13, 14 and 15,in this embodiment four, and a second number of playing areas A1 to H8,in this embodiment 64, which are disposed in a square. The number ofplaying areas as well as the configuration formed by them is variable.Along with a square configuration, a round, a triangular or cross-shapedone is possible, too, depending on the game to be played.

Each playing area contains a push-button 20 which is connected to thecomputer 11. Furthermore, each playing area has a mark device 9 forseparately displaying an equal number of distinctive marks as there areside edges, i.e. four distinctive marks 16, 17, 18, 19 in the exemplaryembodiment shown. Each mark device 9 is connected to the correspondingpush-button and to the computer 11, in which, depending on the operationof the push-button and/or the computer 11, the mark device displays oneof the distinctive marks.

In the exemplary embodiment shown each push-button is round and disposedin a square playing area. However, the present invention is notrestricted to this and the push-button as well as the playing area can,for instance, have any given shape, and the playing area can also beformed by the push-button itself, for example.

Letters, numerals, symbols, projecting flags or other figures can beused as distinctive mark, but a colour that can be clearly seen from allside edges of the games' board, regardless of the direction ofperception is preferably used.

A further improvement of the perceptibility of the distinctive mark isobtained in that the mark device contains a fluorescent element, forinstance a lamp or a LED for displaying the colour in a light emittingmanner. For displaying four colours, for example, a mark device with onelamp and four colour filters or LED's, or with a four-tone LED, or withtwo two-tone LED's, or with one three-tone and one single-tone LED canbe used.

A compact and user-friendly computer game can be obtained bymanufacturing each push-button of transparent material and placing thecorresponding fluorescent element under the push-button.

Each side edge 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the games' board 10 contains a thirdnumber of operating means per side edge, four in the exemplaryembodiment, referred to as A, 3, C and D, for operating the computer inorder to activate or deactivate certain game facets. The operatingmeans, such as push-buttons, touch controls or switches, for instance,can have a start, a reset, a help, a correction and an o.k. or anacknowledge function. Likewise the side edges can have operating meansfor selecting certain computer functions, such as selecting the gametype, the standard of the game, giving help service and the like.Preferably suchlike operating means 11A to 11E are arranged on a centraloperating position on the games' board 10, as shown in the figure.

So as to provide each player with game information, such as the currentscore, the indication who's turn it is, a suggestion for a move and soon, every side edge 12, 13, 14 and 15 is provided with a display screen12E, 13E, 14E and 15E, for instance a LCD screen for displaying gameinformation.

Preferably at least one of the operation devices 12A, 13A, 14A and 15Aof each side edge is provided with a mark belonging to one distinctivemark of a playing area, to specify which side edge, i.e. which playersbelong to which mark. Preferably this one operating means is atransparent push-button under which there is a fluorescent element, forexample an LED, with the colour in question.

After this an exemplary operation of the computer game according to thepresent invention will be elucidated on the basis of a “Go”-like game tobe played by four players. The four side edges 12, 13, 14 and 15correspond to the four players, respectively. In this example thefluorescent colours red, blue, yellow and green, respectively, are usedas distinctive marks. Each playing area then contains a mark device 9,with, in this case, four LED's 17, 18, 19 and 16 for emitting red, blue,yellow and green lights, respectively.

When switching on the games' board 10, by operating push-button 11A, forinstance, the computer 10 activates all mark devices 9 of all playingareas Al to H8 to allow each colour to emit light for a short period inorder to check whether there are any defective LED's. By pressing button11B the game type can be selected, which game type appears on the LCDscreens 12E to 15E. By operating the operating means 11C to 11E onlyhuman players can be selected, although the computer can play for aplayer, the game level or playing strength of the computer then beingselected too.

Upon starting the game the computer 11 causes the LED's in thepush-buttons 12A to 15A to flash and selects at random which player maycommence. This player's LED, say the “red” player 12, keeps on flashing,whereas those of the other players go out. In the meantime the computer11 has set up the initial playing situation on the games' board 10. As aresult of the respective LED lighting up, the playing area D4 is red, D5green, E4 blue and E5 yellow in this initial situation. It is the turnof the “red” player 12 and he presses a push-button to trap one of theother players. The red player 12 presses the push-button playing areaD3. The computer 11 recognizes this as an incorrect move and indicatesthis by means of a sound and/or message on the LCD screen 12E.Subsequently the red player 12 works the operating means with the helpfunction and the computer causes the playing areas D6, F6 and F4 toflash in red in order to show which moves can be made. The red player 12presses the press-button of playing area F4, the LED of which goes onflashing, while the red LED's of the other playing areas are turned off.The red player 12 acknowledges his move by pushing his press-button 12A,after which the red LED of playing area F4 then goes on continuously,and the blue LED of E4 is turned off, while the red LED of E4 is turnedon continuously. By his move the red player has thus “trapped” the blueplayer. The switch from the red player's 12 turn to that of the blueplayer 13 is indicated by the red LED under press-button 12A going out,and the blue LED under press-button 13A flashing. As the blue player 13cannot make a move with which to trap another player, the computer 11permits him to occupy a playing area which borders one of the playingareas already held. The blue player 13 can thus occupy playing area C3,C4, C5, C6, D6, E6, F6, F5, G5, G4, G3, F3, E3 or D3 by pressing thecorresponding press-button and then acknowledging his move by pressingpress-button 13A. The players can thus in turn occupy a playing areauntil at the end of the game all the playing areas are taken. Thecomputer 11 then calculates which player holds the most playing areasand indicates that he is the winner by causing the LED (12A to 15A) inquestion to flash and/or by displaying a message on the LCD screen,accompanied if so desired by a suitable tune.

During the game it is possible for a player to correct a move, byoperating an operating means with a correction function. A time limitcan be linked to this correction, so that correction is permitted onlyup until the moment the following player acknowledges his move byoperating press-button A, for instance. In addition, returning to theinitial situation (reset) whilst playing the current game situation ispossible; this can take place per move or in one go. For this purposethe computer game can be provided with one single operating means whichcontains both above-mentioned reset functions or by two separateoperating means, each with one of the reset functions. By returning permove, one can return to a prior game situation from where the game canbe resumed.

Although the invention has been described on the basis of the exampledescribed above, it will be clear that a computer game according to thepresent invention can have numerous other embodiments, so that a largenumber of games can be played. In addition, the games' board can bedisplayed on a touch-sensitive screen, so that touching a part of thescreen which forms the playing area having the same consequences aspressing a press-button.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer game device comprising: a games' boardand a computer connected thereto for controlling game facets, saidgames' board having a first number of side edges, and a second number ofplaying areas, each said playing area containing an activation elementconnected with the computer wherein operating the said activationelement activates or deactivates certain said game facets, and having amark device for separately displaying a number of distinctive marks,said number of distinctive marks corresponding to said first number ofside edges, each said mark device being connected to a correspondingsaid activation element, and to said computer, and being operable bysaid activation element and/or said computer, each said side edgecontaining a third number of operating means for operating said computerfor activating or deactivating certain said game facets.
 2. A computergame device according to claim 1 further comprising a games' boarddisplayed on a touch-sensitive screen and each said activation elementis part of the said touch sensitive screen.
 3. A computer game deviceaccording to claim 1 wherein each said activation element is apush-button.
 4. A computer game device according to claim 1 wherein eachsaid mark device has a said distinctive mark comprising a separatecolor.
 5. A computer game device according to claim 4 wherein each saidmark device has a fluorescent element for displaying said distinctivemark.
 6. A computer game device according to claim 5 wherein each saidactivation element is a push-button and each said push-button istransparent and the corresponding said fluorescent element is locatedunder said push-button.
 7. A computer game device according to claim 1wherein at least one of said operating means of each said side edgecomprises a mark corresponding with one said distinctive mark of thegame area.
 8. A computer game device according to claim 7 wherein atleast one said operating means is a transparent push-button, saiddistinctive mark is a fluorescent color, and an element fluorescing insaid color is located under at least one said operating means.
 9. Acomputer game device according to claim 1 wherein each said side edgecomprises a reproduction part for displaying game data.